Tank-wall construction.



A. 0. HUBBARD. TANK WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 19!]. 1,261,539. Patented Apr. 2,1918.

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TANK WALL CON T UCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 14, 19]].

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ARTHUR O. HUBBARD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TANK-WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed November 14, 1917. Serial No. 201,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. HUBBARD, a citizen of the United States, resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Wall Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the wooden walls of tanks and particularly silos, and the object of the invention is to provide a wall which will permit the use of staves of varying lengths arranged vertically and thereby enable the manufacturer to effect a considerable saving in the cost of the lumber.

A further object is to provide a tank wall or silo construction which cannot collapse or blow over through shrinkage and longitudinal movement of the staves under wind pressure. Generally in tank walls where the staves are arranged vertically there is a tendency for them to work loose and move lengthwise under wind pressure and soon produce a condition which will result in the total collapse of the tank. One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a construction which will entirely eliminate this danger.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

. In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a silo embodying my invention, a portion of the wall being broken away to show the horizontal joints in the abutting or meeting ends of the staves,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall, showing the transverse grooves in the staves,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of the wall, showing the means for coupling the ends of the hoops together,

Fig. 4: is an outside view, partially in section, showing the manner of coneealin the horizontal joint between the ends of the hoop or band,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

i Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of mounting a section of the coupling on the hoop.

In the drawing, 2 represents the short staves, 3 those of intermediate length and f the long staves, including all those of greater length than the staves 2 and 3, though there may be suitable variation in the lengths of the long staves. These staves may be of any suitable length and there may be three lengths used in the construction of the tank or silo, or a greater or less number. These staves are arranged vertically, being placed end to end with a groove and tongue vertical joint 5 between the edges of th abutting staves. At each end in the outer faces of all of the staves and at intermediate points in some of them I provide transverse grooves 6 which, when the staves are set up, will be in register or alinement to form continuous grooves extending entirely around the tank or silo and at intervals in the vertical wall construction. These grooves will be on opposite sides of the horizontal joints between the abutting ends of the staves, but in the case of the long staves the grooves will frequently traverse the middle portion of a stave in addition to the grooves at the ends thereof. This, of course, is to provide a number corresponding to those in the faces of the short staves. In setting up the walls, the staves are so arranged that the short ones will be alternated with the long ones so that the joints will be broken and at no point in the wall will there be a horizontal joint extending through more than one stave. This will cause a staggered effect in the horizontal joint which will add materially to the strength of the wall.

For the purpose of looking the abutting ends of the staves together, to close the horizontal joint between them, I provide preferably a channel bar 7 having flanges 8 which fit into the grooves 6 and resting snugly therein hold the abutting ends of the staves against separation. The channel bar has lugs 9 secured to the ends thereof by suitable means, such as rivets 10, and these lugs, as indicated in Fig. 3, form members of a coupling for securing the ends of the channel bar or hoop together. For this purpose sockets 11 are provided in the lugs to receive the loosely fitting threaded ends of bolts 12 provided with nuts 13 which, when tightened, draw the couplings together and clamp the band or hoop securely on the walls. In

V tank and lock the staves together also has the further function of sealing the horizontal. joints between the staves and preventing the entrance of air at this point.

In tank walls of this type as ordinarily constructed there is great danger of the collapse of the walls under wind pressure when the staves shrink and slide lengthwise upon each other. By looking the ends of the staves together at right angles to the band or hoop, all sliding tendency is prevented, the locking flanges or lugs of the channels serving as dowels to hold the abutting ends of the staves together and prevent any possibility of longitudinal movement of them within the encircling bands. These bands also serve to cover the joints, additional means being provided for concealing the joints between the ends of the bands, as described.

The tank may be made of any suitable size and the number and length of staves necessary for the proper construction of the walls can be readily determined at the factory, and the tank shipped in knock-down form and easily and quickly set up at the point where it is to be used.

I-claim as my invention:

1. A tank having its walls composed of a plurality of upright staves of varying lengths placed edge to edge and end to end to form a series of broken horizontal joints in the tank walls, and means encircling the tank for bridging and concealing said joints and seated in the abutting ends of said staves above and below said joints for look- 'ing the abutting ends of the staves together and sealing the joints between them.

2. A wooden silo composed of a series of upright staves of varying lengths placed edge to edge and end to end in the silo wall, the varying lengths of said staves causing a break in the horizontal joints formed be-' tween the ends of abutting staves and channel bar bands seated in the surfaces of said staves and bridging the horizontal joints therein, and means for clamping said bands to bind the staves together.

Gopies ofithls patent-may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner efiratents,

3. A wooden silo composed of a series of staves of varying lengths arranged edge to edge and end to end, the abutting ends of said staves forming a series of horizontal joints in the walls of the silo and the varying lengths of said staves causing a break in th continuity of such joints around the silo, said staves having transverse grooves therein at the ends thereof and channel bar bands having their flanges seated in said grooves "and means for binding said bands to the silo walls.

4-. A tank having its walls composedof a plurality of upright staves of varying lengths placed edge to edge and end to end, the unequal length of said staves forming a series of broken. horizontal joints extending around the tank, said staves having transverse grooves formed therein above and below said horizontal joints, bands having flanges fitting within said grooves and bridgind said joints, couplings for the ends of said bands and plates interposed between the ends of said bands and covering the exposed portion of said horizontal joints between said ends. 7

5. A tank having its walls composed of a plurality of upright staves placed edge to edge and end to end to form horizontal joints in the tank wall and means encircling the tank and bridging said joints and interlocking with the abutting ends of the staves. 6. A tank having its walls composed of a plurality of upright staves placed edge to edge and end to end to form a horizontal joint in the tank wall, and a channel band encircling the tank and bridging said joint and having its flanges interlocking with the surfacesoi said staves at their abutting ends. 7. A tank having its walls composed of a plurality of upright staves of varying lengths placed edge to edge and end to end to form a series of broken horizontal joints in the tank wall, and bands encircling said tank and bridging said joints and having means for interlocking with the outer surface of said staves at their ab-uttingends.

8. A tank wall composed of a series of upright wooden staves of varying lengths placed edge to edge and end to end, the horizontal joints formed between the abutting ends of adjacent staves being staggered with respect to the corresponding joints of con- Washington,i!3.0;. 

